


Magic

by Burgie



Series: SSOWeek Round 3 [7]
Category: Star Stable
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-27
Updated: 2016-07-27
Packaged: 2018-07-27 01:53:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7598869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex asks Fripp about Pandoria.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Coming to the Secret Stonering was different when it wasn’t under dire circumstances. The last few times that a Soul Rider had visited here, the circumstances had been entirely different- taking refuge from one of the Dark Ones, trying to understand catastrophic visions, seeking a way to rescue a horse from hell, and desperately trying to bring back a brother. Just to name a few.

Now when Alex stepped onto the stone floor, she wasn’t under any stress whatsoever. Well, not as much as she had been, anyway.

“Fripp,” she called. “Get out here. I know you’re here somewhere. Show yourself.”

“You should be more polite when speaking to the one who taught you magic,” said Fripp from Alex’s shoulder. Alex jumped, startled, and the blue space squirrel scampered down her arm. Once he was on the floor, he looked up at her.

“You taught me nothing but Soul Strike,” said Alex. “And even then, you didn’t teach me much about it. Just to close my eyes, point at something, and fire.” She did just this, blasting a scorch mark on one of the pillars. Fripp immediately went to the pillar, eyeing the damage.

“You are very strong, Warrior,” said Fripp. “Stronger than I had expected.”

“Lots of people say that about me,” said Alex. She blinked. “I have a lot of questions, Fripp.”

“You may ask, and I will do my best to answer them,” said Fripp.

“Okay,” said Alex. “What is up with Pandoria? What are the Generals, really? What are their powers? And what’s this glowiness that I can see when I use my eyes to access my powers?”

“Ah,” said Fripp. “This ‘glowiness’ that you speak of is known as Shadow Sight, or the ability to detect energy. Usually magical in nature, though it can be used to sense the energy of life as well.”

“Cool,” said Alex. “Now, answer my other questions.”

“I cannot,” said Fripp. “Though the power of the Generals has been speculated upon, I do not know them for certain. What I do know, however, is that the female ones used to be sirens.”

“That explains the hotness,” said Alex. “Wait, used to be?”

“Yes, the sirens were changed into something else upon teaming up with Garnok,” said Fripp. “Should you hear a General humming, you should be prepared to run. That is how the girls use their magic.”

“Is there anything else that you can tell me about them?” asked Alex.

“Why are you so interested in the enemy, Soul Rider?” asked Fripp. “You should be asking more about your own powers.”

“It’s smart to know the enemy,” said Alex, folding her arms in front of her chest. “And speaking of enemies, is there anything else about the Generals that I should know?”

“Nothing that I can tell you now,” said Fripp. “You asked about Pandoria, correct?”

“Yes,” said Alex. “I feel like I should know about it, considering I banished someone there and then had to go there with my friends to break magical seals.”

“Pandoria is a large place that exists partly in your mind, as I told your friend,” said Fripp. “While you may have enjoyed it there, it is a very dangerous place. The Shadow Guardians will steal the soul from you, and the dark ones can grow stronger there unless they go to the right place.”

“And did Katja go to the right place?” asked Alex.

“Yes,” said Fripp. “When a Soul Rider sends a General to Pandoria, they are immediately transported to a kind of prison. They will be in agony during their entire stay, and if they find their way back to Jorvik, they will be greatly weakened.”

“Agony?” asked Alex. Her voice was quiet. “And the book didn’t think to mention this?”

“No,” said Fripp. “I confess, sometimes the Soul Riders, especially the Warrior, could be quite flippant when it came to the wellbeing of the enemy. May I enquire as to why you care?”

“I didn’t want to hurt her,” said Alex. “And she’s been there before… no wonder she looked so scared.”

“You had no choice,” said Fripp. “She’d kidnapped your brother, Alex. She threatened to kill your Steed. She has killed you in many lifetimes, and your friends too.”

“She shouldn’t suffer for it,” said Alex. “It’s not right to make someone else suffer.”

“Oh? Did you not render her champion incapable of walking some time ago?” asked Fripp.

“He’s a boy!” said Alex. “And I don’t care if he suffers, he’s hurt my brother enough times.”

“Buck has never so much as laid a finger on young James,” said Fripp.

“Yeah, because I get to him first,” said Alex. “But anyway, I don’t care how much that bully suffers.”

“Katja is responsible for Buck,” said Fripp. “She ordered him to bully your little brother.”

“It’s still not a good enough reason to send her to her own personal hell,” said Alex. “Can’t I get her out?”

“No,” said Fripp. “You cannot go where she went. I should also mention that as well as being a prison for the Generals, it is also a prison for the Soul Riders in Pandoria. It has the same effects.”

“What, and you think that I’ll end up there if I go to Pandoria?” asked Alex.

“Yes,” said Fripp. “She will call you there, to the prison.”

“Yeah, and then I’ll help her out. Simple,” said Alex.

“No,” said Fripp, “it is not. Only a Dark Portal can succeed in freeing those inside the prison. Once you go in, you cannot get out except through that portal. And I seem to recall that Anne broke that portal.”

“Right,” said Alex, her cheeks flushing as she remembered going out to the platform with Anne to sabotage the Dark Portal with a mix of magic and mechanics. “So, no rescue mission. Got it.”

“Is that all that you wanted to ask me?” asked Fripp.

“Yes, for now,” said Alex. “I’ll probably have more questions in the future, though.”

“Oh, you will,” said Fripp. “I have seen this.”

“Of course you have,” said Alex. She swung back into Tin Can’s saddle and turned him to ride out of the Stonering.

“Oh, and Alex,” Fripp called to her. “One more thing.”

“What?” asked Alex, turning Tin Can back to the squirrel.

“Let your mother know that you love her,” said Fripp. “Sometimes she cannot see it.”

“I will,” said Alex. And then she finally rode off, though now she had more questions than she’d come with. It was a lot to think about, at least. But she had to get home to her mother.


	2. Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex gets Anne to take her into Pandoria so she can rescue Katja.

“I need you to take me to Pandoria.”

“Why?” asked Anne, frowning in confusion at her friend. “We just got back from there, after saving the world I might add.”

“Because,” said Alex, but didn’t give a reason.

“So you expect me to saddle up Concorde, access my powers, and open a portal so that you can get into Pandoria just because?” asked Anne.

“Yes,” said Alex. “Come with me if you want, I don’t care.”

“What are you planning to do there?” asked Anne. “Pandoria is hardly a place to go just for a casual trip.”

“I’ll tell you when we get there,” said Alex. Anne probably wouldn’t take her if she knew the real reason.

“What do I get out of this?” asked Anne.

“I’ll carry all of your school books for you for a month and get Concorde ready for you before you train,” said Alex.

“Two months and you carry my shopping too,” said Anne.

“Deal, let’s go,” said Alex. She rode beside Anne through the portal, reaching Pandoria before her friend.

“Okay, now tell me,” said Anne. “Why are we here, Alex?”

“Fripp told me that Katja got sent to the prison in Pandoria and I don’t want her to suffer like that,” said Alex in one big rush. “I have to find her.” She said this last part quietly. But Pandoria was so quiet that Anne heard it anyway.

“Her?” She blinked, and then frowned. “Oh, you’re talking about-“

“Yes,” said Alex, her hands fisted around Tin Can’s reins. “Go ahead, say I’m stupid, I don’t care.” She turned her pony away from her friend, not wanting to see the look on her face.

There was silence for a moment, broken only by the demonic screech of a distant Shadow Guardian. And then:

“You’re not stupid. Love makes you stupid. I know that. But it can also make you strong. And what you’re doing, it’s… it’s very brave.”

“Don’t lie to me,” said Alex with a bitter laugh. “It’s stupid, is what it is. Fripp told me that-“

“That you can’t get out of the prison except via the Dark Portal, yes, I know,” said Anne. “But it just sounds so romantic, Alex! You’re breaking into a prison to stage an impossible breakout.”

“This isn’t one of your romance, novels, Anne!” said Alex, turning back to face her. “She broke my heart and now I put her in hell and… and… it’s just so damn stupid.” She wrapped her arms around herself.

“Then if it’s so stupid, why are you here?” asked Anne. “You’re not known to do stupid things.”

“Because I can’t fix anything this time,” said Alex. “My family’s falling apart and I can’t fix that, I’ve tried but it’s just impossible with everything that’s happened. Dad found out and he’s trying to make it seem like this wouldn’t have happened if James lived with him and they’re fighting again and…” She tried to stop herself before she could start crying. “It just sucks, you know? Oh wait, you wouldn’t know, your family is perfect.”

“No they’re not, Alex,” said Anne. “They fight too.”

“Maybe but nothing like this,” said Alex. “I can’t fix anything at home but I can at least try to fix this. Go home, Anne.” She wiped her eyes and started off into Pandoria.

“I’ll come back tomorrow,” said Anne.

“Okay,” said Alex. “Unless I’m back before then.”

“Good luck,” said Anne. Alex said nothing, just rode faster.

It wasn’t long before Alex heard the song. She didn’t even need the magic to pull her along, just to guide her. Tin Can didn’t want to go any faster than a canter, and then he dropped down to a trot.

“Come on, Tin Can, don’t stop on me now,” said Alex. “Don’t you want to be my noble steed when I ride in and rescue her?”

“Alex, she threatened to kill me,” said Tin Can.

“Garnok made her say that,” said Alex. “But fine, I’ll walk if you won’t go.”

“I think that you might have to,” said Tin Can. They’d stopped on a cliff, and down below Alex could see a square-shaped stone building. The singing was coming from there, and now it sounded like her name. Every so often, the song was interrupted by a scream. But it always started up again.

Alex dismounted and looked around for a safe way down. The place was ringed with Shadow Guardians. But they’d be no problem, Soul Strike took them out easy. Ignoring them for the time being, Alex found a little path and carefully inched her way down to the ground. She blasted away a Shadow Guardian and darted to the building, then began searching for a door. The building glowed brightly in her Shadow Sight, and she wished that she could look away. But here, where her powers came from, there was no turning them off. At least it showed her the door, though. Some of the runes marked onto the building felt dangerous, but Alex ignored them. When she slipped through the door, she wished that she hadn’t.

Pain was the first thing that Alex felt. It felt like she’d lost a fight with a tree. One with many branches. And then she felt fear. As she looked around the room, she saw old bones. There was a particularly large and white one near the far wall. And then it moved.

“Alex?” The thing suddenly opened blue eyes, and Alex again wished that she could make the Shadow Sight go away. She knew who it was anyway though.

There was a distorted humming, and then another surge of pain sent Alex to her knees. It felt like lightning, but that wasn’t possible. Yet it crackled through her anyway.

“Come over here,” said Katja. She had to slither over to her for some reason, and when she grabbed her, Alex could feel something that felt like claws and scales. And then they were at the wall, and Katja was holding her.

“What was that?” asked Alex. “A taser or something?”

“Yes, pretty much,” said Katja. She pulled something charred from Alex’s head and tossed it aside.

“I can’t see,” said Alex. “I’ve never felt so weak before.”

“Well, I don’t know about the seeing, but that’s what this hell does to you,” said Katja. “Not that you seemed to care when you banished me here.”

“I didn’t know,” said Alex. “I just thought it’d make you go away. The book didn’t mention any of this.” There was a burning pain spreading through her now, burning her from the inside. “What the hell is this?”

“Hell,” said Katja. She laughed and then groaned. “It makes you experience your worst fears. Remember your worst pains. For me it’s-“ And then she screamed.

“Childbirth,” said Alex. “You’re a mother? Or afraid of being one?”

“That’s not important!” said Katja. “It’s worse the closer to the door you are. What’s it like for you?” She tried to clutch her stomach but she was still holding Alex so she only succeeded in pulling her closer to her. And then the pain changed to stabbing pains.

“Burning,” said Alex. “It was electrocution, but now…” It changed again so that now Alex couldn’t breathe. The room seemed to fill with water, but Alex could see that it was still dry. She struggled away from Katja, and she could breathe again. “What the hell?”

“Past lives,” said Katja, now clutching her stomach. “In one of your past incarnations, you stabbed me a lot. It was your preferred method of killing. And I drowned you a few times.”

“Well I don’t want to find out how else you killed me,” said Alex. “By the way, you sound like you don’t care at all about it.”

“That’s not true,” said Katja. Alex’s Shadow Sight had faded, and now she could see blood on Katja’s stomach.

“I thought the pain was just imaginary,” said Alex. “But you’re bleeding. You’re not actually in labour, are you?” She looked down, but Katja had a fish tail instead of legs. “Okay, explain.”

“I’m a siren,” said Katja. “And no I’m not in labour, you idiot. I just accidentally scratched myself with my claws, that’s all.”

“Is there any way out of here?” asked Alex. “Fripp said that the only way out is via the Dark Portal. And Anne and I kinda broke that.”

“Good job,” said Katja with a roll of her eyes. “If you can get to the door, you’re out.”

“Sounds easy enough,” said Alex.

“The pain gets worse the closer you get to the door,” said Katja. “And you’ll start to hallucinate. That’s how it works. You’ll see things, hear things, feel things.”

“What do you expect to find?” asked Alex.

“You dying,” said Katja. “And it’ll look just like you and feel just like you and…” She trembled. “Or maybe you’ll kill me. Maybe you’ll gut me like a fish. Or I could just see Garnok killing you.”

“Why are all your fears about me dying?” asked Alex. “I thought you hated me.”

“How can you be so stupid?” asked Katja. “I love you, I always have. In every cycle, even the ones where you killed me.”

“So then why break up with me and out me?” asked Alex.

“Because I knew that you’d do this,” said Katja, gesturing to their pink prison. “And I just wanted everyone to know that you were single for any women who might be interested.”

“In high school?” asked Alex. “Now you’re the stupid one.”

“Why?” asked Katja. “How am I the stupid one now?”

“High school is the worst place to be outed,” said Alex. “It brings all the homophobes out of the woodwork.”

“I didn’t know that we had any at that school,” said Katja.

“Well, there were,” said Alex. “I was getting in fights every day just to defend myself. Girls avoided me. Boys tried to cure me.” She took a step towards the door, then froze before dropping into a defensive stance. Katja grabbed her ankle and pulled her back.

“This would be so much easier if I could take human form,” said Katja.

“Why can’t you?” asked Alex.

“My magic is gone,” said Katja. “Yours is too, or close enough I’m guessing. Your eyes were glowing when you came in but they’re not anymore.”

“Great,” said Alex. “So I have to escape, fighting off the hallucinations, all while carrying you.”

“You don’t have to carry me, I can try to slither out,” said Katja.

“No,” said Alex. And then she turned to the back wall, frowning. “I can still feel some magic. Maybe I can-“

“No!” Katja shouted, trying to stop her, but it was too late. The blast that was supposed to tear the wall apart rebounded, and Katja only just managed to throw herself in front of Alex to save her. Now she was in real agony, writhing on the floor and trying to breathe through a throat that was regenerating too slowly. She pressed a hand to the hole in her neck and grit her teeth against the pain.

“Sorry,” said Alex, dropping to her knees beside her. “What can I do? There’s so much blood.” In answer, Katja pulled Alex down to her and kissed her. Alex felt her energy drain sharply, but the hole in Katja’s throat healed quite rapidly. She pulled away for a moment to finally breathe, then kissed Alex again. Alex barely felt the claws scraping her head turn back into fingers, but she felt Katja’s leg move when she had legs again. Pressing her luck, Katja kissed Alex a third time. But this time it was just a kiss.

“Right, now we can go,” said Katja, getting to her feet. She coughed and spat out some rubble.

“But you’re naked,” said Alex.

“Oh, do you want me to steal the last of your magic just to make myself some clothes? Honestly, Alex, I didn’t know that you were such a prude,” said Katja, and she reminded Alex so much of Anne in that moment that she just had to laugh. Katja smiled at hearing Alex’s laugh.

“Well then, come on,” said Alex. She took hold of Katja’s hand and stepped towards the door again. “Whatever you do, don’t let go of me.”

“Oh, I won’t,” said Katja. She clutched onto Alex’s hand so tightly that it hurt. Then, they stepped towards the door.

Because they were holding hands, the room gave them mixed visions of each others’ worst fears. Alex saw Katja hooked and harpooned, the spear passing through her and sending her flying back into water. The blood called the sharks, but Katja tugged on Alex’s hand. She was still here.

They stepped off a boat and into a classroom. Girls glared, while boys leered. A few boys moved towards Alex, and suddenly she was naked. Hands held her down. But then Katja was there, her arms around her, shielding her. She took them out of the classroom.

The next step brought them to Devil’s Gap. Alex lost the race. Katja knocked her off the path. A tentacle disappeared with Alex in tow. James fell off the path. Another step, and they were in what looked like a prison cell. A cage, to be more specific. Katja screamed and began to run. Pain assaulted them at the door. Katja felt hooks under her skin, tearing through her skin, raking her until she was raw and bloody. It wasn’t real, it couldn’t be. Alex’s hands were real. Pulling her out of the prison.

“Are you okay?” asked Alex. Katja couldn’t see through the tears in her eyes brought on by pain, but she nodded anyway. “Good because you look awful.” Katja looked down and saw that she did have several new wounds in her arms.

“What?” asked Katja, trembling.

“There were hooks in the doorway,” said Alex. “I think that this was originally supposed to be a prison for the Generals. What was that cage?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” said Katja, shivering. “Did that thing in the classroom really happen?”

“Yes,” said Alex. “Only it wasn’t at school. It was near home.”

“Alex, I’m sorry,” said Katja. “I’m so sorry, I had no idea… sometimes I forget how terrible humans can be.”

“Apologise later,” said Alex. She tugged on Katja’s hand. “Come on, let’s… let’s go.” She almost forgot to finish her sentence when a rune on the prison suddenly leapt out at her. The Lightning one. This really was all her fault.

Alex showed Katja how to get up the path and kissed her to transfer a last bit of power to her so that she could have clothes.

“You’re not riding my pony without clothes on,” said Alex. “You can only do that to me.” Katja laughed and climbed onto Tin Can’s back after Alex.

“I’m sorry for threatening to kill you, Tin Can,” said Katja. “It was wrong of me.”

“He says apology not accepted but that he’ll behave for my sake,” said Alex.

“Thank you,” said Katja, to both the pony and rider. “You didn’t have to save me. Why did you?”

“I couldn’t just leave you here after learning that I’d sent you to hell,” said Alex. “And there’s so much bad stuff going on at home now because of what happened with James. I wanted to escape, I wanted to do something right for once.”

“And saving me was right?” asked Katja.

“Look, if you weren’t sent to hell, I wouldn’t have even come for you,” said Alex. “In fact, the only reason I’m taking you all the way out now is because stuff changed in there.”

“If you left me here, I’d be drawn back to the cell,” said Katja. “You have to take me all the way out. I can’t go back there, Alex, I just can’t.” She pressed her face into Alex’s back, tears slipping down her cheeks. Alex felt it and stopped Tin Can.

“Anne will be able to find me here,” said Alex, and dismounted. Katja stepped down too, and Alex pulled her into her arms.

“I’m sorry for causing trouble for you,” said Katja. “In the past, in the present, when I inevitably fuck up in the future.”

“We all make mistakes,” said Alex. Katja sniffed.

“You were nearly…” Katja gestured helplessly “because of me! Your horrible family got even worse, you had to relive that, and I’m just so sorry!” She hugged Alex tighter, crying into her shoulder.

“I built that prison,” said Alex. “I recognised one of the runes on it. I must’ve really hated you at some point.”

“You did,” said Katja. “But you’ve also loved me so deeply in other lives. I thought that this might be like one of those other lives but I screwed it all up.”

“It still can be,” said Alex. “Just apologise to everyone and be with me.”

“Can I kill those boys that hurt you?” asked Katja.

“Well I’ve already gelded them,” said Alex.

“Really?” said Katja.

“Yeah. Don’t cross a girl who knows horses,” said Alex, and laughed. Katja laughed with her after getting over the idea of Alex being so vicious.

“Are you serious about being together?” asked Katja. “Because I did break your heart and do all of those other horrible things to you.”

“But you’re sorry for all of that,” said Alex. “It was probably better to break up with me anyway. Yes, I’m serious. I didn’t come all this way just to save somebody, I came all this way to save you. To make just one little thing right.” She looked at Katja quite seriously.

“Okay,” said Katja. “I want to be with you again too.” 

And then she kissed her, another kiss for real. Alex kissed her too, and there was saltiness on their lips but that was alright. They were in hell, Shadow Guardians screeching in the background and the pinkness swirling around them and the prison calling them, but they were happy. They were so happy. It was one right thing amid a sea of wrongness.


End file.
